You can receive your state
authorized, theologically accredited Bachelor, Master, Doctorate degrees in far
less time, for up to 98% less expense than through most traditional online
seminaries, online bible colleges, online universities!

Accreditation & Cost
/ Educational Accountability

NTS Theological Accreditation
Through

Educational
Accountability

"Celebrating Over 35-Years of Educational Ministry"

Introduction

In the educational world today, regional
accreditation is not always a mandatory requirement especially for
ministry related, non secular, avocations/ professions. Many Pastors,
Christian teachers, Christian Counselors, etc. opt for Bible Colleges
and Seminaries with non regional accreditation which result in huge
financial savings while still achieving a quality standard of education.
In fact, the majority of Bible schools are NOT regionally accredited.

At Northwestern, we have numerous students and
graduates who have come to us from major seminaries, colleges and
universities, including Liberty and Fuller etc. for their post graduate
studies, to earn a Master's or Doctoral degree. Of course many of our
graduate school students already have a regionally accredited Bachelor
or Master's degree but it is not necessary for many ministry related
positions.

Northwestern Theological Seminary is a member in good standing
with the IACEA. The International Association for Christian Educational
Accountability is a Christian alternative to secular accreditation and
as such, is not controlled or dictated to by the U.S. Dept. of
Education thus allowing Biblical positions to be supported in areas such
as Abortion, Same Sex Marriage etc. Educational Accountability and
Accreditation are interchangeable.

Concerning seminary
accreditation or educational accountability; the value of any accredited university, accredited bible
college or educationally accountable online seminary degree is subjective, depending on
the amount of work that went into earning it, the studentís attitude and
aptitude, and external circumstances related to the school itself or to
the graduateís working world.

You should be aware that
the vast majority of Christian Private Schools, Bible Colleges and Seminaries elect not
to be governed by the U.S. Department of Education and do not seek
Regional Accreditation, which is more common among Secular Colleges and
Universities. Christian Educational Ministries are automatically exempt
from the dictates of both the Government and secular accreditation
agencies. Northwestern Theological Seminary, like other Christian
Education Ministries, has a form of theological accreditation which may
be
recognized and respected as an acceptable form of accreditation /
Educational Accountability for
those in pursuit of non secular, ministry related avocations.

Northwestern Theological Seminary is both a state authorized and
theologically accredited / educationally accountable institution of higher learning. Most accredited
universities, accredited seminaries, accredited Bible colleges and
accredited colleges have their own criteria for recognition and
acceptability of online educational credits. The individual should
always address specific questions to selected institutions in
determining their particular criteria concerning accreditation /
educational accountability.

Northwestern Theological
Seminary is an educational outreach ministry of
Christian Alliance Ministries Worldwide. Our ministry, established
in 1980, has branch seminaries, evangelistic ministries and
thousands of members in over 40 countries included within the United
States, Latin America, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

Concerning the
"MONOPOLY" on accreditation in the USA today.

Accreditation is BIG
BUSINESS today and what is happening amongst the major accreditation
agencies fits the definition of a monopoly.

Only a few agencies are
recognized by the Government through the U.S. Department of Education
and these agencies have instituted astronomical fees and requirements
that make it financially impossible for smaller colleges, universities
and seminaries to comply.

They go as far as to
assume that any accreditation that is not provided by Governmentally
approved accreditors is not accreditation at all and they then call all
non traditional schools, Bible Colleges and Seminaries that do not have
regional accreditation or D.O.E. / Governmentally approved accreditation
as non accredited. Unfair? Yes of course it is.. But, this is BIG
Business and it is controlled by the few major accrediting bodies
recognized by the Government.

Controlling the market and
not recognizing any accrediting organization that is not part of their,
Governmentally recognized, select group is a highly unfair practice and
should be deemed illegal. Furthermore, calling quality Bible Colleges
and Seminaries unaccredited, just because they are not regionally
accredited, is deceptive and a blatant lie, since numerous smaller Bible
Colleges, Christian Universities and Seminaries do have non traditional
accreditation (Not recognized by the Government) yet remain just as
accountable in providing quality education to their students. They
simply refuse to pay the exorbitant cost to participate in the
"monopoly" on accreditation.

The cost of accreditation
with a major accrediting organization adds up to millions of dollars in
expense for colleges and universities that have such accreditation.
That is why it costs up to $200,000.00 or more, for a four year degree
from a private universality today, making it impossible for
the under privileged and many middle classed students to enroll.
In fact, many of the students who do enroll in the major colleges and
universities wind up strapped with huge student loans which compound and
take many years to pay off.

None of this is fair to
the average person or under privileged individual who seeks a quality
education today. There is a huge educational gap populated by students
who cannot afford to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for education.
But, thankfully there are non traditional schools, Bible Colleges and
Seminaries available that are equipped and able to meet this great
educational need.

Northwestern Christian
University is such a school and we are meeting a great need by providing
a quality, accredited educational opportunity for 98% less than it costs
to attend a private university in the United States. We do this
while providing our students a state of the art online library and the
MOODLE online educational management system which is the same system
used by major colleges and universities.

Northwestern has fulfilled
rigorous educational requirements in our determination to acquire and
maintain a quality educational program. Further information concerning
the process of evaluation leading to our Christian educational
accountability, may be obtained by visiting IACEA at: www.ChristianEducationalAccountability.org

United States Government Approval

We are recognized by the
Government of the United States of America, as a 501 (c)(3) Religious
Organization with all rights and privileges as provided by law.

The State of Florida

State
of Florida Department of Education

Northwestern Theological
Seminary operates under authorization, as a degree granting institution
through exemption, by the Florida State Board of Independent Colleges
and Universities under Section 1005.06 (1) (f), FLA Statutes. The state,
like other states, does not require accreditation or theological
accreditation for our religious education based programs.

Northwestern Theological
Seminary and University is a member in good standing with The International
Association for Christian Educational Accountability, a Worldwide
organization for Christian Theological accreditation through evaluation
and accountability, with the goal of
maintaining the highest educational standards for its' member
institutions. IACEA accreditation standards are maintained through
ongoing evaluation, compliance and accountability.

IACEA supports the
Biblical principle of separation of Church and state; Mark.12:17; James
4:4; II Corinthians. 6:14. Remaining consistent with Biblical standards
and not liberal or secular positions, IACEA has chosen not to seek
endorsement by either the EAES or COPA, CHEA etc. which are all
governmentally influenced accrediting organizations. IACEA is a rapidly
growing and respected network of over 500 schools on the cutting edge
of Christ-centered, Biblical education.

IACEA is an international
membership association of hundreds of Christian educational institutions.
Members must pass an evaluation process, leading to theological
accreditation for their educational programs in accord with Christian
educational standards and institutional integrity through initial and
ongoing evaluations. All IACEA member institutions are enabled to
demonstrate educational accountability to the Christian educational
community. This accountability is demonstrated through documented
evidence of compliance with IACEA standards of structure, governance,
material resources, policies, faculty and curriculum. Further
information concerning our process of evaluation leading to Christian
educational accreditation may be obtained by visiting IACEA at:
www.ChristianEducationalAccountability.org

The following quote is
taken from the web site of the Council for Higher Education
Accreditation (CHEA).
"There are accrediting organizations that may not be recognized but
are not accreditation mills. For example, the accreditor may be seeking
recognition, but the process is not complete. Or the accreditor does not
meet the requirements of CHEA or USDE for reasons that do not relate to
quality."

The following quote
is from the United States Department of Education. "It should be
noted that some institutions have chosen not to participate in the
federal student aid program and therefore do not have to be approved by
an accrediting agency recognized by the Department. While these
institutions do not appear on the Department's list, they may be
legitimate schools.

This quote is from the
former executive director of the
Association for Biblical Higher Education (an accrediting
agency recognized by the United States Department of Education), stated
as follows:"There are hundreds of Bible Colleges and Seminaries
in the United States and Canada that are offering good solid theological
training, yet they are not accredited.

But, will a degree
from Northwestern, be accepted by your Church or place of employment?
While there certainly are some situations when only a degree from
a regionally accredited or government approved school can qualify one
for certain positions and privileges, often you will be judged and accepted based on how
you present yourself, not solely by the image represented by the
school from which you graduated. Example: Are you already in ministry?
If so, when was the last time a member of your church asked you if you
had a degree at all, much less if it was from a regionally accredited
university, college or seminary?

Ministry and
education: Your ministry avocation is one of those areas where Godís
will and plan is more important than anything else. In fact, for those
already serving in ministry, a degree from a highly credible though
governmentally unrecognized school may be the smartest
choice. Especially when you can receive a quality online seminary
education for a fraction of the expense associated with regionally
accredited schools. We should not forget that, especially in the
Christian tradition, academic freedom is considered a cornerstone of
religious liberty. Of course, so is academic responsibility!
Therefore, any program of study leading to a theological degree should
be both Biblically sound, and academically honest. At NTS, you can be
assured of such integrity with quality educational materials based
soundly on Biblical principles.

However, if
you are concerned whether your church or place of employment will accept
you with a degree earned through a privately accredited school, that is
not regionally accredited, then you should simply inquire concerning the
same. Remember too, that even with degrees earned from regionally
accredited schools; there could be restrictions on what kind of degree
is recognized. Always inquire first, since in some cases, denominations
and ministries may not accept degrees from secular schools, or schools
not affiliated with a specific denomination or organization.

Educational
Affiliations

Northwestern Theological
Seminary is a member is good standing with the following:

1. The Christian
Educators Association International C.E.A.I.

2. The International
Association of Christian Theologians T.I.A.C.T.

3. The American
Theological Library Association A.T.L.A.

4. The Theology
Journal Editorial Committee T.J.E.C.

5. International
Fellowship of Christian Ministries I.F.C.M

About Accreditation

Throughout history there has always been some religious confusion, and
there is some controversy over the subject of accreditation today. But
to clarify the issue:

*Religious institutions need no secular accreditation
because they do not offer secular education or degrees.

*Secular accreditation associations in turn are recognized
by governmental

agencies. They trace their authority back up to the
capitol of a country, like

Washington, D.C.

*Religious accrediting associations are recognized by the
Church of Jesus Christ,

which has no supreme central office on earth.
Our authority is derived from

Heaven.

*Civil and religious interests are different and have
separate realms of jurisdiction.

*The state is not superior to the Church. The Church need
not wait for approval

from the secular world.

*Civil agencies should not be dictating standards of
Christian education, any more

than a police officer should be directing
the worship of God.

*Theological Seminaries should not be accredited by
accrediting associations that

are "recognized" by an agency of the
federal government, because it is contrary to

the Biblical principle of
"Separation of Church and State", indicated by Christ when

he said,
"render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things
that

are God's." Mark 12:7.

*What business does a Christian educator have, going to the
secular world influenced by liberal non-believers for recognition and acknowledgment?

II Cor. 6:14
says, "Be not equally yoked together with unbelievers: For what
fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?"

As a theologically accredited Biblical seminary, we are not required, by
the U.S. Dept. of Education or any other agency, to have regional
accreditation nor are we subject to governmental or secular oversight.
As such, our educational programs are not required to qualify our
students for either governmental or secular certification. However,
legally, our degrees are classified as theologically accredited and
state authorized as exempt, which fully qualifies all degrees from
Northwestern Theological Seminary to be recorded professionally both on
your resume and in personal employment records. You can be proud of the
legitimacy of your Degrees from Northwestern Theological Seminary.

Our ministries are recognized by the Government of the United States, as
a 501 ( c ) (3) Religious Organization. Since we are considerate of, and
obedient to, all of the laws set by our government, as a Christ centered
biblical education ministry, our ultimate authority is God and as such
we choose to remain free in our rights to teach degree programs based on
the word of God as found in His Holy Bible. However, Because of our
legal position based on the U.S. Constitution, NO outside agency has any
authority over our educational content regarding our right to teach
Bible based educational programs leading to the award of appropriate
certificates and degrees.

In the United States, accreditation of universities and seminaries is a
voluntary process with accreditation granted by private,
non-governmental agencies. Governmental agencies never provide
theological accreditation.

Additionally, there is no national standard for educational
accreditation, and the educational world is currently re-examining
criteria for accreditation, focusing less on institutional inputs and
more on educational outcomes.

What the Department of Education Does Not Do

IMPORTANT:

The United States
Department of Education does NOTaccredit any College,
University, Seminary or any Education Program. Here is a quote from the
U.S. Department of Education's Web Page:

Under the Tenth Amendment
of the U.S. Constitution: "The powers not delegated to the United States
by the constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to
the States respectively, or to the people." Nothing specific is said
about education in the Constitution; therefore it falls outside federal
authority.

In creating the
Department of Education, Congress made clear its intention that the
secretary of education and other Department officials be prohibited from
exercising "any direction, supervision, or control over the curriculum
program of instruction, administration, or personnel of any educational
institution, school, or school system." The establishment of schools and
colleges, the development of curricula, the setting of requirements for
enrollment and graduation -- these are responsibilities handled by the
various states and communities, as well as by public and private
organizations of all kinds, not by the U.S. Department of Education."

The Facts Concerning
Regional Accreditation

Our board of
advisors has chosen not to apply for regional accreditation.

Reasons:

∑Regional Accreditation is a "Voluntary Process" that is
not required of religious institutions.

∑A regionally accredited degree is required for public
school teachers in all states, and for some state and federal employment
situations. It is our opinion, that the vast majority of ministry
related employers do not require that a minister or religious worker
have a degree from a regionally accredited school.

∑Ministers and Religious workers do not need a degree from
a regionally accredited school unless regional accreditation of the
school is required by their Church Board or as a requirement of
ordination by the particular religious denomination.

∑Individuals in today's world have sufficient information
resource to evaluate programs, schools and universities without
depending on the "opinions" of accrediting associations.

∑Regional Accrediting Association does NOT guarantee the
quality of a school, its programs or acceptability of the Degree by any
other school or employer.

Regional Accrediting Associations:

∑Do not require regionally accredited schools to accept
transfer students from other regionally accredited schools and are not
required to accept transfer students from schools that are not
regionally accredited

∑Regional Accrediting Associations' policies have not kept
up with technology for the modern trend of Web Based Distance Education

And the authorities said, "We gave you strict orders not to continue
teaching, in the name of this man Jesus, behold now you have filled all
of Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring the blood of
Jesus upon us." But Peter and the Apostles answered and said, "We must
serve God rather than men." (Acts 5: 28-29)

"And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many
witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach
others also." (2 Timothy 2:2)

All NTS Degree Programs are intended to
prepare students for Ministry Avocations.

All races and nationalities are fully welcome
at Northwestern Theological Seminary.